יחזקאל, פרק מ״א, פסוק ט׳

The architectural design of the side chambers surrounding the Temple required precise planning, detailing the measurements of the walls and the spaces around them. The primary approach among commentators is that the outer wall of these side chambers, which faced the courtyard, was five cubits thick.

Beyond the outer wall, attention turns to another specific area connected to the chamber structure [מצודת ציון]. A central discussion emerges regarding whether this area was an open void or a physical building element. Viewing it as an empty, unoccupied space, one perspective suggests this void was located at the eastern corners of the building, specifically the northeast and southeast. The side chambers did not wrap around these corners; rather, these open areas contained the doorways used to enter the entire chamber system [רש"י, מצודת דוד]. Another perspective proposes that this empty space was actually a five-cubit-wide corridor or air gap that completely separated the side chambers from the main Temple sanctuary. According to this view, the chambers did not rest against the main Temple wall at all [רש"י, שטיינזלץ].

In contrast to the idea of an empty space, other commentators understand this area as a physical structure. One opinion explains that it refers to the inner wall of the side chambers facing the sanctuary. Unlike the outer wall with its fixed thickness, this inner wall gradually narrowed as it rose. This tapering created a ledge designed to support the ceiling beams of the chambers, which is why it was defined by its structural purpose rather than a specific measurement [רד"ק]. Another approach suggests that the chambers were divided into two separate rows, an inner and an outer row. In this layout, a middle wall was placed between the rows to separate them. Just like the other partitions dividing the chambers, this central wall was also five cubits thick [מלבי"ם].